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Friday, November 13th, 2009
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12:36 pm - Life: Dubai
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You hear about the wonders of Dubai all the time - it's got a what??. I finally got to visit for a few days, and it is truly jaw-dropping.
But first, you know how life throws you curveballs when you're least expecting it? So no one complains about their trip to Dubai, other than that they can't bring enough shopping back; but we, we encountered all the weird stuff.
First, we get held up at the border because SO still has a valid visa for Dubai in his passport. It's supposed to be automatically invalidated if you've not been to Dubai in six months, but the immigration department actually spent some time discussing whether they should just cancel the visa.
THEN we had major problems looking for a Salik card (tag) to pay for the tolls in Dubai proper. First off, we assumed you could buy a tag at "any petrol station", as per reports on the Internet. This is not true. You need to look for the Emarat or Enoc petrol stations, and only within the city of Dubai, and not at the outskirts.
And then, we discovered that the rental car company had not provided all the paperwork needed to purchase a tag (no dear, you can't just pay for it as you wish). Salik tags may only be sold to the owner of the car. In the case of rented cars, the renter has to provide a copy of the 'commercial licence' of the company. While this may be faxed over to the petrol station, we used up nearly all our prepaid value in our phones making international calls to the car rental company, explaining what we needed, then dealing with the ensuing denial and disbelief.
Following which we got lost looking for our hotel because they owned entire blocks in the area and we couldn't find the building we'd been assigned to. That took five calls to reception:
"Which building are we looking for?"
"Where are you exactly?"
"We can't find you!"
"We're still lost!!" and, finally,
"Where's your carpark?"
To crown it all, SO cut his hand on his own knife trying to take it out of the car, because the safety catch hadn't been on.
And that was just the day we arrived :)
I've been in major cities before, but Dubai dwarfs everything (except, maybe, Texas). You have to be there to experience the scale of things. Ginormous takes on a different meaning here.
The highlights of our trip were the Palm Jumeirah, the Wild Wadi, and Ibn Battuta Mall. We went to the falcon centre, which had the more Emiratis than anywhere else, DragonMart (think Chinese trade show and Mandarin as the lingua franca) , and the Mall of the Emirates (real snow!) as well. We had Korean food, which we hadn't had for a really long time, but ended up snatching meals from malls because it was too much trouble to drive anywhere special. I wouldn't want to drive in Dubai, not because the traffic was bad, but because you lose your way completely with one wrong turn, and that's if you know where you're heading.
I loved the shopping, not that I did much of it. Dubai seems to offer a lot more compared to Oman, and it's typically cheaper, too. Not that Oman lacks, exactly, but Dubai just has so much more. This is kinda weird given that it really doesn't seem to have the population to sustain all the shops or to fill the buildings.
The franchises in Dubai should all just move to Oman. They would get loads more patronage.
Click on the picture to view it larger and to get to the folder of other pictures of the Dubai visit.
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| Sunday, November 8th, 2009
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11:19 pm - Life: You would have expected better from SingPost
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You know that saying about how bad pennies follow you around? I filled in the forms for BUPA in Oman, brought them all the way to Singapore with me, posted the envelope at Changi Airport.. and then had this self-same letter - to BUPA in the UK - sent to SO's office back in Oman because I put his address as the sender.
Let me reconfirm that he's the SENDER, and not the RECIPIENT of this letter.
Notice that the Singapore stamps are all nicely postmarked, and that there is no "return to sender" note on the envelope.
I fail to see how SingPost could make the mistake of delivering a UK-bound envelope to Oman, especially when I carefully wrote "SENDER" in front of the Omani address.
Maybe they have really sub-standard address-processing equipment at Changi Airport. Even if it's a world-class international airport.
I had to put this envelope into a bigger one, write the UK address yet again, then make a special trip to Seeb post office to post it.
I haven't seen that envelope come back again. Yet.
Click on the picture to view it larger, and to see the folder of other pictures of home life in Oman 2009.
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10:52 pm - Life: Mobile broadband speeds
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You can only drool when you see numbers like these. Nawras, the mobile broadband provider which we use, offers a maximum connection speed of 7.2 Mbps, and it's actually much slower than that.
It's not like you can't view Youtube, exactly. It just takes ages to load.
I suppose I should be thankful that we're not calling into the Internet with acoustic couplers or something equally archaic.
Click here to view this picture larger, or to get to the folder of pictures of Vivocity.
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10:40 pm - Life: Expiry date confusion
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The rumours had been persistent that a certain supermarket would repackage expired meat with new expiry dates. I thought it might be an urban legend, though it's true that fruit and vegetables from some supermarkets in Muscat simply don't last very long so you wonder sometimes.
Well.. wonder no more. Note exhibit A: an expiry date printed onto the packaging of the food item, dated July. Note exhibit B: an expiry date printed onto the barcode of the same item, dated December. Note exhibit C, the date on which this picture was taken: September 17. Could the rumours.. *gasp* actually have some truth in them?
SO said we should at least contact the supermarket to let them know, but it wasn't easy. The website doesn't have the same name as the name of the supermarket, and there is no email contact address for general feedback of the type we were contemplating. I eventually used an email contact address meant for something else.
To the supermarket's credit, the manager of the supermarket actually emailed and then called personally to clarify the nature of my feedback. I sent him this picture, and also the receipt for the product. We had spent nearly 49RO on a single receipt that day (we do tend to shop there a lot).
The manager has since apologised, both verbally and in email, and offered a refund for the item, but SO said we weren't going to bother. We still spend lots of rials there - it's SO's favourite supermarket.
Was it a genuine mistake or standard practice? It's hard to say; certainly it would be pretty crazy to do it deliberately when you have a clear expiry date on the packaging like this. A supermarket could definitely get away with repackaging expired meat if it didn't come in its own expiry-dated package. If the meat were truly unusable, an experienced cook would be able to tell really quickly.
I wouldn't be able to say one way or another though. I generally do not buy fresh meats from any of the supermarkets because I barely cook :)
Click on the picture to view it larger, and to get to the folder of pictures about domestic life in Oman 2009.
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10:17 pm - Life: The sawm diaries
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If I was ever tempted, this was it. The spread was wonderful, but this was the cutest platter of all - chocolate (my essential food group!) with attractive touches of fruit on top. Except that I was fasting that day, so I wasn't going to have any of these, or the samosas, or the finger sandwiches, or the tea or coffee, all of which was being served on silverware with the ER (Elizabeth Regina) logo on them.
So I took pictures, which I would have anyway, and got on with it. It wasn't that hard, though there were ladies everywhere partaking. This would have been illegal if it had been out in public, you understand. Restaurants, cafes and coffee shops - basically anywhere that sells or serves food - are closed by law during the daylight hours during the fasting month of Ramadhan in Oman. Private parties are exempt, as are hotels which may have one outlet open, but only behind extra screens so that the faithful may not be tempted by the sight of diners and food.
JM says it's not normal not to be tempted. I WAS tempted, just not to the point of taking a plate and putting any food on it, or thinking of forgetting about the fast, or rationalising that I don't have to fast in the first place.
It's true that I don't have to fast in the first place. It's obligatory if you're Muslim. I'm not. I just started out of curiosity and since it was relatively painless I just went on with it for slightly more than half of Ramadhan. If you look at the Internet it's apparently not that painless, but then I've only done it once and maybe it's different if you have to.
When I first decided to sawm, or fast from sunrise to sunset the Muslim way, I wondered if it would be a very thirsty ordeal. Going without food for a day is fine; but going without any liquid at all? That would probably be very hard.
It was hardest the first day. I wasn't actually thirsty so much as constantly preventing myself from walking to the kitchen and pouring myself a glass of water, and that was exhausting.
I did find myself counting the minutes towards iftar (literally, "breakfast"), not because I planned on legally being able to eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in public, but because it meant I COULD eat or drink if I wanted. Not being able to, and being able to but choosing not to, are two completely different things.
Paradoxically, I'm never particularly hungry or thirsty at sunset. I've broken the fast as long as several hours later, and I could have gone on for longer (but learned as I went along why this is not a good idea). But put food or water in front of me, and I have an appetite; possibly a bit more than usual, but slightly less capacity at the same time.
I didn't fast that first weekend, and was surprised how much I wanted breakfast after two days of fasting. Frankly, I was shocked at how much I wanted – or needed? – to eat. I was gunning for second helpings when I usually stop at one portion. It was like my body wanted to store as many calories as possible, and it didn't care that I was so full, I'd probably throw up if I ate any more. I have never thought about eating as constantly as during that one weekend. It did get better the longer I fasted, thankfully - the body no longer thinks you're starving. I think.
To be fair, I hadn't been following local practices on sawm to the letter, especially in the beginning. I didn't do suhoor, the meal before the dawn prayer. Neither did I nibble and sip my way through iftar goodies (there are special high-calorie, easily-digested foods and extremely sugary, thickish beverages prepared only during Ramadhan) throughout the night and sleep later than normal, leaving more time for eating and helping to balance the blood sugar levels in the daytime. I just had our normal dinner food sometime after iftar, a bit of water here and there, and that was it. I wasn't hungry or thirsty enough to do more, and I was too tired besides (more about this later).
Breaking the fast the next weekend wasn't as bad. My body didn't feel like I was starving any more. I had a big appetite still, but I didn't feel out of control. The full week of fasting was odd for another reason. I would have assumed I would reach some sort of equilibrium and not be hungry after a while, as when you eat much less over a long period. I guess eating at night spoils the rhythm, because I was always hungry, and hungrier as the week progressed. The hunger can be ignored, but I always thought I'd get used to it, and I never did. I didn't sit there and dream of food either, but having to manage the hunger can be rather exhausting mentally.
I realised I had to change the way I fasted after not having gone once after five days of fasting.. and then when I did have to go, it hurt. A lot. I hadn't been drinking enough water, even though I didn't feel thirsty at iftar or indeed during sawm. I'd been drinking about the same amount I would have in the evenings if I hadn't been fasting. I simply don't drink very much, so it was actually harder to have to force myself to drink from iftar to bedtime than to sawm during the day, and even so that wasn't enough. I had to do suhoor so I could drink a little bit more. Sigh. After doing suhoor like two times, I ended up drinking water and checking the time afterwards, and it was 5am. Fajr was at 4.30 – I'd broken the rules of the fast by drinking after dawn. Not that it mattered. My period arrived that day so the fast was invalidated anyway. It took three more non-fasting days and a whole lot of liquids for going to the bathroom to stop hurting. Trust me, you'll remember and try to avoid a situation like this if it happened to you.
There was only one time I actually felt somewhat thirsty - the day I walked over to CM's place which was outside the Oman Oil, slightly over 1km away. We then went to the vet's so I was out in the sun a bit. That was the only evening where I truly felt thirsty. Even so, the water at iftar wasn't as attractive as when you're eating normally and you get thirsty and a drink of water feels so welcome. It was weird.
I always thought it would be easier to sawm in the Middle East, where there are shorter work hours for Ramadhan, the restaurants and cafes and coffee shops are all closed in the daytime, and it is against the law even to take a sip of water in public. It must be really tough to sawm in a more secular country, being exposed to food and water all around you, people eating in front of you, and possibly even having to cook all through the period of the fast.
In the end I have to say it doesn't matter. I made a commitment to fast, so I did. I don't sit there and drool when there's food around me, or people eating. I've cooked for SO and not been tempted to nibble or taste. What I do have to guard against are the habits of a lifetime. I caught myself on the second day breaking a grape off a bunch, as I typically pop one in my mouth every time I see the grapes. And it's distressing to be used to drinking water once you step into the house, and not being able to indulge in the habit until after sunset.
It's said that the road accident rate goes up during Ramadhan, and I can believe it. I tired a lot more easily. Aches and pains seemed to stay around longer, and it seemed like my tolerance for pain was lower than usual. I felt constantly like I was on the brink of getting sick. I could tell I was thinking more slowly, working harder to recall various things, and making more minor mistakes. The deterioration in performance levels is negligible, but then I'm not operating heavy machinery or doing anything that requires perfect hand-eye coordination. I had enough bandwidth to drive a car on Oman's roads, but I can see how sawm could take the edge of alertness enough to make driving a tad more dangerous than usual. The effects linger even after I ate in the evening; I had to wait 2-3 hours after eating to feel better.
I never thought about it before, but giving fasting people as much support as they need to get through the day safely makes a lot of sense. I should know. I've been there.
Click on the picture to view it larger, and to get to a folder of pictures from the British Ambassador's Residence in Oman.
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| Saturday, November 7th, 2009
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10:41 pm - Life: I lost my phone
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After leaving various mobile phones behind in so many places and so many times, it was statistically impossible for me not to lose my phone. It finally happened one weekend recently. I popped it into the pocket of a pair of jeans, didn't think about how shallow that pocket was, and then ignored the crunchy sound that I heard when I got out of the car (well, I thought something on my backpack had hit the door, and when I didn't see anything, I just moved on).
This happened in a high-traffic area, with lots of cars parking and lots of people moving around. Anyone could have picked up my shiny zhnged N81 8GB.
It would have been nice though if they had also bothered to think about returning it, and if I find a phone next time this is what I'd do: Leave it on, so that the owner can call and arrange to retrieve it; send text messages to everyone in the address book, asking if they knew whose phone it was and whether they could contact the owner. While you can't be fully sure that whoever responds really is the owner of the phone, at least you tried, and you could at least ask the potential owner to describe his or her phone.
Whoever found my phone kept it off, or replaced my SIM card with theirs, so that calling myself did not work. I knew then that it was unlikely I'd be getting my phone back, and made arrangements to get a new phone (a simpler Nokia E66 plus a 4GB memory card) and a replacement SIM card - for 2RO I retain my phone number and whatever value I had with that number, and the old SIM card is disabled.
I'd mourn all the Swarovski crystal (yes, everything bling-y in that picture is Swarovski crystal) but it's not as if I'd transfer it to my new phone anyway. It's still a pain trying to rebuild my phonebook. I have some backups, but not for most of my life in Oman. I had filled that 8GB with a lot of MP3s, some pictures, and some video, all of which I now had to reload onto the E66.
What would have been nice is to have had the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) for my phone. Theoretically you can go to your mobile phone provider and ask for any phone requests from a device bearing that IMEI to be ignored, making a stolen or lost phone totally useless. The IMEI is usually printed on the box that your phone comes in, which was in Singapore. I certainly didn't have the IMEI with me. You can also report a lost or stolen phone by its IMEI in Singapore.
I have since learned that you can also access the IMEI directly from the mobile phone by keying in * # 06 # without spaces in between. I tried it on the E66 and it works; presumably this will also work with other phone brands. If I need my IMEI, at least I have it someplace.
How you are going to convince your mobile network provider that you own that IMEI is another question altogether. I bought the N81 from a Nokia store in Singapore, not from Singtel; and even then I'm now in Oman using a Nawras SIM card.
It pleases me somewhat though that my N81 does not support Arabic, and that it is so hard to use, and that it hangs quite often. This is called.. retribution.
Click on the picture to view it larger, and to access more pictures from life in Singapore in 2008.
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| Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
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11:43 am - Life: This is Oman
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Because this is Oman, you don't have a lookout point smack where you can view this mountain that looks like a man at Al Jabal Al Akhdar. Or maybe it's un-Islamic, because they do have lookout points elsewhere along the roads.
SO this the "Shogun" as it appears to be the outline of a hooded, caped man. I think of it as the "Samurai", even though he doesn't seem to be carrying a sword on his back.
Click on the picture to view it larger and to get to a folder of other pictures of Al Jabal Al Akhdar.
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| Thursday, October 29th, 2009
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5:00 pm - Trying to join Networkedblogs
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Sounds like a great idea. Despite what everyone thinks, it isn't that easy to use. I even emailed technical support, and I do try to make sense of instructions. Didn't get a reply, which doesn't surprise me. So here goes at another attempt to tell Networkedblogs that I'm the author of this blog, despite the instructions NOT to put the HTML code into a post.
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| Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
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8:50 am - Life: The alcohol delivery scam
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Received another scam alert that sounds quite plausible. If they need you to pay a delivery charge, do it by cash, or don't accept the package. At least alcohol deliveries aren't that likely to happen over here.. it would be illegal!
"Hi everyone,
I want to let you all know that Frank and I have been the victims of credit card fraud this week and felt I should warn you all about the clever scam.
It works like this:
Last Wednesday I had a phone call late morning from Express Couriers to ask if I was going to be home as he had a delivery for me. He said he would there in roughly an hour. He turned up with a beautiful basket of flowers and wine. I expressed my surprise as I wasn't expecting anything like this and said I was intrigued to know who was sending me such a lovely gift. He said he was only delivering the gift and the card was being sent separately (the card has never arrived).There was a consignment note with the gift.
He went on to explain that because the gift contained alcohol he has to charge the recipient $3.50 as proof that he has actually delivered to an adult, and not left it on a door step if the recipient is out, to be stolen or taken by children. This seemed logical and I offered to get the cash.
He then said that the company required the payment to be by EFTPOS so he's not handling cash and everything is properly accounted for.
Frank was there and got his credit card and 'John' swiped the card on this small mobile machine that also had a small screen upon which Frank entered in his pin number. A receipt was printed out and given to us.
Between last Thursday and Monday $4,000 was withdrawn from our credit account at ATM machines in the north shore area. It appears a dummy credit card was made using the details in the machine and of course, they had Frank's pin number. The Bank has stopped our cards and I've been to the Police this morning, where they confirmed that it is a definite scam and many households were hit during the first 3 days of October...
So PLEASE be wary of accepting a gift you're not expecting especially if the card is not with it. We've all received gifts like this and would never dream that it could be such a despicable act. Please also let other female friends and relatives know. Hopefully, these fraudsters have ceased this activity by now but you never know."
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| Monday, October 19th, 2009
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9:48 pm - Life: Dental nightmares
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Some time back, the dentists I go to assigned me to a new dentist when I requested a full checkup. She was extremely sweet and very authoritative about what was wrong with me, and it was lots.
I was uncomfortable with the diagnosis (why would I need all my wisdom teeth removed, in one go, when they didn't hurt and all of them had erupted?) and Googled her name to find that she'd left a string of lawsuits for incompetence behind her in the US. She was never charged for anything, but where there is smoke, there is fire.
Someone was looking out for me that day. I don't normally Google doctors or dentists - but I was so uncomfortable with the diagnosis that I just felt I had to. I can't imagine what might have happened if I had meekly agreed to all the procedures she had said I needed! I kept postponing the appointments after that.
In the meantime, she mysteriously called in sick for weeks, and has finally left the company.
The picture is of the Ngajat Lesong dance, which I watched at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Kuching, Malaysia. The dancer picks up a 20kg rice mortar, called a lesong, with his teeth.
Click on the picture to view it larger, and to access more pictures of Kuching.
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| Thursday, October 15th, 2009
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7:40 am - Life: The take-details-from-blogs scam
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SO got an email recently asking if the bird was for sale, in case it wasn't. It is pretty insidious because the scammers merely visit a website and steal information and pictures from it, then add their own bank account details. If you don't have contact details on your website, there is no way for the potential purchaser to know that the item is not for sale, or certainly not to the scammer.
Moral of the story: make sure, as far as possible, that the seller of the item is trusted, and that they really are in the position of selling you what they say they're selling you.
Maybe that's why I still don't have an eBay account. Yet :)
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From: xxx@yahoo.com
Subject: Possible scam using your name?
To: yyy@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 1:22 AM
Today I replied to an advertisement that uses your name and pictures from your website. Below is the initial response I received from the advertisement listed in “Oodle.com”
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“Hello,
Thank you very much for having contacted me regarding the Grey parrot for sale, by name Riamfada,vaccines and DNA proven.she is very tamed and well socialized and got very warm temperaments. Riamfada is potty and cage trained. she is playful with kids and adults. she go along with other household pets and has two cats as friends by names Dommie and Katie .Riamfada has a rich vocabulary.good singers and speaking....Riamfada is looking for her new home. She is 14 months and some days old, and weighs 0.99kg. she is very intelligent.she will come together with all health documents, not leaving her cage and play toys which she loves so much.Riamfada will be Medium-Large size at Maturity Potential: Perfect Pet Weight: 1.3lbs Weight at Maturity: 2-2.8lbs Temperament & Personality: Perfect temperament and great with kids and other pets.
Here is also her Fly time:8minute,Control distance:12M . Flying height:12M,so dear all we are looking is to know if you can take very good care of the bird..? So most of the time i head below the mountains for experiments which is the main reason am seeking for a re homing party for her, we will do every thing we can to make sure that she gets into a lovable home. so get back to us if you are willing to take care of the bird..
thanks and waiting for your mail.
kind regards home.
Hans & Katleen”
The email address given is: "katleen more" katleenmore@live.com
First off, I must mention that I found your website blog location under one of the pictures that was enclosed; and that I found your site very, very interesting. I hope you don’t mind if I continue reading your of your “adventures”.
Secondly if you indeed have moved to Anchorage, Alaska, USA (as stated in the second email) and want to part with your bird I would be very honored to be considered.
My purpose in writing is to alert you to a possible scam using your name and pictures.
xxxx
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SO's reply:
Thank you for alerting me to this bloody scam.
Those people are trying to part you from your money with you getting nothing.
Fly time, fly height are a load of garbage only low life can think about.
I am still in Muscat, Oman with Riamfada , and with Katie and Dommie.
Read the latest that I wrote in my livejournal.
http://shanlung.livejournal.com/2009/09/
No one else would have given a name like Riamfada to a grey, or any other creature unless you love David Gemmell and the Rigante world that he created. And naming the kitties to be Dommie and Katie as well.
Just like Madoff do exist in this world, other crooks do crawl out of wood work every now and then.
Do enjoy the sagas that I have with Tinkerbell and Riamfada and my kitties. Share them with your friends. I wrote that for all that love their birdies an beasties and feel free to use all that I have written as I wrote that for all of you, other than for those low life that want to scam the rest of you.
I copied this to my wife, the one who took all the photos as she will be amused by it all.
Warmest regards
Shanlung
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/
ps. I will add you to my mailing list so you get latest update from me as well
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A search of "Katleen" has turned up ads on other websites. Here's one, from http://www.adsglobe.com/pets/view.ads?listingId=30289&from=S&channelCode=P&typeCode=F:
I have two African Grey Parrots.They are male and female and have been DNA tested.They have acquired large vocabulary and have great personality. They comes with their play perch, cage all of their toys.They lives with other birds and are good with children.If interested, email us for more details and photos...
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| Monday, October 12th, 2009
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7:24 am - Life: Attack at Ras Al Hadd
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We love visiting Ras Al Hadd. The Turtle Beach Resort where we've stayed three times so far is relaxing, with its own private beach, and simple though tasty food. The rooms are a little primitive and bathrooms are mostly shared, but they're clean, cool and comfortable, and we like that.
This last trip we decided to explore the area a little bit and headed towards the village nearby. There was a long strip of beach punctuated with fishing shacks, and the moment we set foot on it the little boys appeared out of nowhere.
"Hundred baisa, hundred baisa," they chanted. "How are you?"
We ignored them, but Riamfada was too much of a novelty and they kept trying to touch her. It became such a challenge to keep them safely away (Riamfada can bite through chicken bones, what more a child's finger?) that we decided to go back to the car.
The boys weren't pleased. They opened the door of the car and tried to get at Riamfada, and when SO yelled at them, they took sticks and started hitting the car as it moved off. Hard. SO had to jerk to a stop and get out, whereupon they giggled and ran off.
It was quite terrifying. We've met Omani children who have been curious or mischievous but always well-behaved - once we ask them not to touch, they don't. It was like a completely different world at Ras Al Hadd.
We will go back to Ras Al Hadd, but not to that village, and would not recommend it to any tourist. I shudder to think what those children are going to turn into when they grow up.
The boy on the right in this picture, with headscarf on, participated in the mayhem though most of the others were much younger and not dressed formally in Omani dishdasha. Clicking on the picture will lead to a folder with other pictures on Ras Al Hadd on Flickr.
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| Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
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6:50 am - Life: The travel scam
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EG had sent me the warning earlier, having received the same email, but lo and behold, I received the actual email from a friend just today:
"On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 9:57 PM, XXX XXX <xxx@hotmail.com> wrote:
Hello,
How are you doing?hope all is well with you and family,I am sorry I didn't inform you about my traveling to England for a Seminar..
I need a favor from you because I misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel where my money,and other valuable things were kept I will like you to assist me with a soft loan urgently with the sum of $2,500 US Dollars to sort-out my hotel bills and get myself back home.
I will appreciate whatever you can afford and i'll pay you back as soon as I return,Kindly let me know if you can be of help? so that I can send you the Details to use when sending the money through western union.
Thanks
XXX"
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This resonates with me because I actually did have my wallet stolen during my first visit to Bangkok. I had never had anything stolen from me before, so I wasn't as careful as I should have been and well, there is always a first time for everything.
I lost my wallet through wearing a backpack in a very crowded area. When I was pushed, I assumed it was because there were too many people surging forward. What had actually happened was that the pickpocket(s) was masking the action of unzipping my bag and feeling around in it to get my wallet.
I only realised there was something wrong because I felt the neckstrap of my camera moving against my arm, when it should have been safely in my bag. I stopped to check the other contents of the bag, but perhaps I should have looked behind me instead - others in my group later said that someone had "dropped" a wallet and stooped to pick it up behind me.
I had travelled to Thailand with others, but few people knew of the incident as I didn't make an issue of it. It was, after all, my fault for making my backpack so accessible and not thinking that anything could be stolen from me.
I was very touched and still am to this day by the actions of two others - the lady who accompanied me to the police station to make the report of the loss and helped me call my credit card company, and to the person who offered to loan me some cash because "you have to pay for the taxi when you get home". Neither were close friends or colleagues.
All this makes me perhaps a little more cynical than usual about the email above. I'm not THAT close a friend - wouldn't you ask someone else at the same event; your office colleagues back home (since the seminar is presumably for work), spouse, immediate family relatives and very close friends to get you out of a fix before contacting someone with a more distant relationship?
If you're in such an emergency.. would you email, knowing that the recipient may not read email immediately? Wouldn't you send a text.. or call? Even if your phone has disappeared, there are usually a few numbers you know by heart, and you could simply use the phone in the hotel room and reverse the charges when making an international call. Or someone would have your business card with your office number on it - even the hotel would have the various details you need, from your own registration form.
If your wallet and other valuables are stolen it's possible to arrange a soft loan directly with your bank and/or credit card company. There is little reason to actually ask anyone else for money, unless you have poor credit ratings. Your embassy can also assist you in such cases.
$2,500 is an interesting sum if you live in a country whose currency isn't in dollars. It's also an overly large sum to cover travel expenses alone. People usually buy return air tickets for a trip, so the cost of the return flight has already been covered, even if the ticket has been lost.
If I'd had a sibling send me an email though, I might be more concerned. Even so I'd probably ask for the hotel's phone number so that I could call back and make arrangements verbally. Email is great - but sometimes, it just doesn't make sense.
Click on the picture to view it larger, and to access other pictures on my Flickr photostream.
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| Monday, August 17th, 2009
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4:18 am - Life: Credit card scams, this time
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Another forwarded email, this time from CL. I've never heard of the expired card trick, but it sounds plausible - except that you had better have a common credit card for it to work. I can't imagine that there are so many expired credit cards from the same bank lying around for a switch to be made. I do destroy expired credit cards by slicing them into several pieces though.
As for the third scenario, taking a picture of the credit card would only work if you take both the front and back of it - that's pretty much enough for someone to make transactions online if the e-shop doesn't check that the billing address is the same as the credit card's billing address. It could happen if the payment is made out of eyeshot though.
Forwarded email follows:
Scenario 1.
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, 'Funny, I thought I locked the locker. Hmm.'
He flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay - all cards were in place.
A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a bill of $14,000! He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions.
Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen.
'No,' he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made. An expired credit car from the same bank was in the wallet.
The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them.
Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Small amounts rarely trigger a 'warning bell' with some credit card companies. It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to big one!
Scenario 2.
A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card. The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along
Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funnily enough, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person.
He called the waitress and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man.
All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card at the cashier, and the cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card.
No exchange of words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.
Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours. Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away fo even a short period of time.
Scenario 3:
Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in. I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking account.
The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is standard procedure.
While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing. I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded the way my phone sounds when I take a picture.
He then returned my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he were still pressing buttons. Meanwhile, I'm wondering what he has taken a picture of. Then it dawns on me: the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing.
I hear the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved.
Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlor.
Be aware of phones, because many have a camera phone these days.
-end of quoted message
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| Saturday, August 15th, 2009
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11:38 am - Life: A trio of scams
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More scamming information, courtesy of MS. These look like they're meant for Malaysian readers. Comments on each scam after the description of the scam.
1. Credit card scam upon check-in at a hotel
You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. When checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for your room). You get to your room and settle in.
Someone calls the front desk and asked for (example) Room 620 (which happens to be your room). Your phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other end says the following:
"This is the front desk. When checking in, we came across a problem with your charge card information. Please read me your credit card number and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the reverse side of your charge card."
Not thinking anything you might give this person your information, since the call seems to come from the front desk. But it is actually someone calling from outside the hotel/front desk. They ask for a random room number, then ask you for credit card information and address information. They sound so professional that you think you are talking to the front desk.
If you ever encounter this problem on your vacation, tell the caller that you will be down at the front desk to clear up any problems. Then go to the front desk and ask if there was a problem. If there was none, inform the manager of the hotel that someone called to scam you of your credit card information acting like a front desk employee.
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My comments:
If there is a problem with your credit card, it would normally be discovered right at the front desk when you check in, and not after you get to your room - I'm sure the hotel wants to be assured that you can pay any credit card charges that accrue. Alternatively, a message may be left on the phone in your hotel room to call the front desk, whereupon they will ask you to come in person to solve the problem.
Still, it seems entirely possible that I'd give them the credit card information if asked, so MS, thanks for this!
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2. Subject: Driving to Johor Bahru (in Malaysia)
If you get RM10.00 in your car door handle, use tissue paper or cloth to remove it without opening it and if possible bag it.
Drive away immediately.
Don't check the note until you are in the company of your friends or relatives. The note could either contain powdered drugs to knock you out or make you wonder if some guilty motorist compensating you for a knock or scratch on your car.
While you are still wondering, the robber(s) will attack you as you check the car.
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My comments:
There are too many holes in this method. If you leave a sizeable
amount of cash in a car door, you run the risk of any passerby taking it, and then you lose that cash. I'm not convinced the drugs would knock out the passerby so he can be robbed (more below).
If the robbers need to use paper, why not save money by leaving a note of a small denomination, or something that looks like a parking ticket, or even a note that says: "Sorry I scratched your car. Please call me at 12345678 to get compensation" - any of these would prompt the owner of the car to remove the paper from the car door and/or stop and check the car.
For that matter, why would the robbers need to knock out a person with expensive drugs that are absorbed by the skin with a piece of paper? Why not smear these drugs on the car handle? Or dispense with the drugs altogether - hitting a person with a hard object would do the job.
Add to that the problem with drugs - they don't usually work reliably, so you might end up with people who are not affected at all.
This seems to be a variation of another scam warning where a flyer is left on the rear windscreen of a car. A driver would normally remove a flyer on the front windscreen before driving off, but would be more likely to notice a flyer on the rear windscreen only after starting up the car.
The warning explains that the robbers wait until you get out of the car to remove the flyer at the rear, as drivers typically leave the key in the ignition when they do this; then while you're walking to the back of the car, they pop into the front and drive off - voila, one stolen car.
My take on this is that people driving alone should always be on their guard and try not to park anywhere secluded. Of course, if you see anything slipped into the handle of your car door or on the windscreen, be doubly suspicious!
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3. Subject: Duty-free scam at Bangkok International Airport
My secretary's cousin was detained in Bangkok for stealing a box of cigarettes in a duty-free shop in Bangkok International Airport.
He had paid for chocolates and a carton of cigarettes. The cashier put a packet of smokes into his bag and he thought it was a free pack.
He was arrested for shop-lifting and the Thai Police extortion price was RM30,000 for his release. He spent two nights in jail and paid RM50 for an air-con cell, 200-300 baht for each visitor, and RM11,000 for his final release.
The Police shared the money in front of his eyes. On top of that, he was charged in court and fined RM2,000 by the magistrate and handcuffed and escorted to his plane.
His passport was stamped "Thief". While there, his relatives requested help from the Malaysian Embassy and was told that they are helpless, as Malaysians are victimised similarly daily and letters and phone-calls to the Thai Authorities are ignored.
He shared a cell with a Singaporean the 1st night who paid RM60,000 for his release. The 2nd night was an Indian national who paid USD70,000.
Mind you this is not in downtown Bangkok but in a duty free shop in Bangkok's International Airport.
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My comments:
I do associate Bangkok with crime as I had my wallet stolen during my first visit to Bangkok, though not at the airport. I did have an ex-colleague who left his document case on his luggage trolley at the Bangkok airport - after check-in - and lost his passport, boarding pass, and wallet etc as a result.
Can this happen? Maybe. I would ask why a duty free shop has single packets of cigarettes available for shoplifting though - don't they sell just in cartons? And I don't know any of the protagonists personally so I can't say for sure - but a "you're a shoplifter" scam could be carried out anywhere so long as the police are in on it. You don't even need to have shoplifted anything - so long as the shop says you did and the police agree, you're in hot water.
Then again, I've made purchases in all kinds of shops across different countries where I have been overcharged for individual items, double-charged for the same item, charged for items that weren't in the bag, charged for items that I didn't want but got sold and packed anyway, charged for items that I didn't want that weren't even in the bag, you name it - that's what you get for buying a lot of items and losing track of what you're buying, and trusting that the cashier is charging you for, and bagging, exactly what you want.
I remember, for instance, that I once bought a whole bunch of t-shirts in Phuket and then realising that some of the t-shirts hadn't made it to the shopping bag - only after I returned to the hotel.
These days I try to have a rough idea of how much the final amount should be, and to peek into the shopping bag to make sure that I did indeed receive exactly what I bought. This falls apart when I buy too many items though, and I still encounter problems occasionally.
Is it a scam though? I usually put it down to human error. Phuket could well have been a tourist scam, as people normally buy their souvenirs just before they go home, so the shops know that you are not likely to have the time to return and complain even if there is a problem with the purchase. But it could just have been a salesperson who didn't notice that some of the t-shirts had fallen to the ground or something.
I don't usually worry about it when the alarm at the exit of the shop goes off, as I've done nothing wrong. I might think twice now after learning about this scam though!
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| Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
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7:15 am - Ramadhan (Ramadan) Mabrook
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I experienced my first Ramadhan in the Middle East last year. What you do as a non-Muslim in the privacy of your home is at your discretion; but in Oman, it is illegal to eat, drink or smoke in public for the entire month of Ramadhan. I don't smoke and didn't mind not eating, but found the prohibition against drinking in public very hard when it was so hot. I seem to remember that it was hotter last Ramadhan – which was in September – than it is now, in August, but I may have acclimatised :)
In Singapore, Muslims fast during Ramadhan but it's a secular country and non-Muslims go about their business as normal. I had a tiny taste of what it must be like to fast last year, and I'm not sure I could do it.
I remember we worried a lot about lunch during Ramadhan. We used to buy takeaway lunches two to three times a week, and all the restaurants near where we lived closed in the daytime over Ramadhan.
We ended up buying the takeaways the evening before, and then relying on our trusty microwave at lunchtime. D'Arcy's Kitchen ran a takeaway lunch service last year, but it was too far away. I'm told the fast food chains will remain open, but will not entertain adults actually consuming the food on the premises (read the very informative blog by Angry in Oman). The hotels will have one restaurant open for guests, but expect to see extra screens placed around that restaurant so that diners cannot be seen by passers-by. No alcohol will be served over Ramadhan; all bars will be closed. We didn't know this, and tried to visit a recommended pub during Ramadhan last year, only to find the shutters down and the place in darkness.
Workplaces and shops may keep Ramadhan hours. Many places close in the afternoon anyway, but they may open even later than usual, and close earlier than usual in the daytime for this month. SO left for work earlier, but work ended for him much earlier as well.
It's best to call and ask if various places are open because Ramadhan timings don't seem consistent across shops and organisations. The only time you can be sure that the shopswill be open will be after the breaking of the fast at sunset (ifthar or iftar), because people will be out and about after eating. Muslims sleep a lot later during Ramadhan and restaurants and shops may stay open from after ifthar to midnight and beyond. The Sultan Center in Qurm was open 24 hours, and extremely crowded in the evenings.
Business-wise and government-wise it is better to complete agreements before Ramadhan, or wait till after it. I'm told the hotels are all booked solid just after Ramadhan partly because people are in Oman to celebrate Eid, and partly because everyone is in a hurry to resume negotiations after that.
There are special foods that are popular during Ramadhan. Harees and shuwa are two dishes that you might see in Omani homes during this period, but you can see the seasonal changes at the supermarket level. Instant soups, crème caramel mixes, and the Tang powdered drink are sold in family sized quantities in special displays at extremely economical prices. These are often packaged with free gifts like bowls or mugs, but if you're not entertaining large numbers of guests it might not make sense to make impulse buys. I fell in love with a drink called Qamaruldin (kamaruldeen, qamaruldeen) during Ramadhan. This is diluted apricot puree, and I never saw it after Ramadhan. Fruit leather of the same name is on sale in Carrefour right now :)
The hotels and some restaurants may offer special ifthar buffets during Ramadhan. We're not big buffet eaters so we never did try any at the hotels last year, but they look like fun. Seasonal foods and eating in tents figure highly on ifthar menus :) I am inclined to think that the restaurants cater to non-Muslims because the streets are uncommonly deserted the first hour or so after sunset, because everyone is at ifthar at home. If you don't like crowds, this may be the best time to shop at the supermarkets!
Traffic is said to be a little more challenging during Ramadhan, particularly (and understandably) as it gets close to sunset and everyone's hurrying home for ifthar. I can't comment on a first-hand basis as I didn't start driving lessons here until after Ramadhan last year.
Ramadhan continues for a lunar month, slightly less than a conventional solar month. The holiday marking its end, Eid, is celebrated on different days in different Muslim countries. We had to wait for an official announcement, as the actual date depends on the sighting of the moon, which is somewhat weather- and location-dependent. The Eid-al-Fitr holiday is more than one day long in Oman, and restaurants may not be open during this time; I remember we went on a day trip to Sur last year and ended up lunching on our 'emergency' food because we couldn't find anywhere to eat then.
During both Eid holidays you may get children ringing your doorbell. I see it as the Muslim version of “trick or treat” - they don't ask outright, but if you answer you're expected to give an Eid gift (Eidiya) of money, about 100 baisas per child. We were away during Eid-al-Fitr, but experienced this during Eid-al-Adha, which is considered the more significant Eid holiday in the Muslim year. The standard Eid greeting, by the way, is "Eid mabrook", or "congratulations on Eid".
I had expected Ramadhan to be difficult to get through, but it was not – we had a whole month to get used to it, and basically everything was available (except alcohol, but I don't drink); it was just a matter of when the shops were open. What was unexpected were shops being closed for Eid, but it's a huge public holiday so we should have known that, in hindsight. We'll be well stocked when the time comes this year :)
NB: I have been pronouncing 'Ramadhan' and 'Eid' wrong all this time. I've always said 'Ramadan', but it's actually a 'dh' there and not a 'd'. There are two 'dh's in Arabic and I can't differentiate the pronounciation, however. And 'Eid' is not 'eeeeeeeee-d'. I begins with the Arabic ain, which I have a lot of trouble pronouncing. Oh well.
This picture is from the Home in Ghubra 2008 set. Click on it to view a larger version and to get to other pictures in the same set.
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| Monday, June 22nd, 2009
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7:32 am - Life: Remove the wooden beam..
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A friend posted something profound on her status update on Facebook: Remove the wooden beam in your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.
Some thoughts about this:
You have probably grown so used to seeing around your personal wooden beam that you would argue that it is not there.
And..
The only reason you are aware of your brother's splinter is that you can empathise because of your own wooden beam.. BUT to acknowledge that takes a lot of courage.
And..
When you get irritated by other people, you often respond to the very faults that you yourself display. But are you that perfect? It's always a good idea to take a hard look at yourself to see if you may have that same fault.
And lastly..
The best friends to have are the ones who are truly honest with you. Even with bad news.
Click on the picture to view a larger version, and to get to the folder for more pictures on Singapore @ home 2008.
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| Friday, June 12th, 2009
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8:36 pm - Life: I received the Nigerian scam.. through Facebook!
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PLS REPLY TO THIS EMAIL:- hammed_islam300@yahoo.com
Dear Friend,
Salam aliekum to you my brother.My name is Mr.Hammed Yusuf,am from Lagos Nigeria. I work with Fidelity Bank Nigeria Plc.I will like to confirm to you that am oblige to transact this business with you, i need your assistance to stand as a beneficiary to the sum of $17.8 millions united State Dollars lying down unclaimed in our bank, what really happened is that during the course of our auditing last week, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in the year 2000 and since 2001 nobody has operated on this account again,after going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [Heir/WILL] hence the money is floating and if I do not remmit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing.
The owner of this account Dr.Ahmed Hassan Ghoubashi an United Arab Emirate Oil Merchant and great industrialist ,who was a foreign contractor with the Federal Government of Nigeria, unfortunately lost his life in a car accident including his wife and kid. Ever since his death the money has been lying unclaimed.Now i need you cooperation to claim this money because only someone from foreign country can stand as the beneficiary.
And the Banking law stipulates that any money lying unclaimed for seven years will be transfered to federal government suspent account with central bank of Nigeria. Please i need your assistance to achieve this great chance because i do not wish this money transfered to Central bank of Nigeria because it will be shared among the top directors, this people want to cheat this man , i dont want it to happen , i want us to get this money out for him and help the poor with it and also help ourselves.
No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it,the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that the account is a secret account. The total amount involve is $17.8 million United States Dollars only and I wish this money should be transfer into a safe foreigners account abroad. But I don't know any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here,but to a foreigner who has information about the account.and the information which i shall offer you as the next of kin.
At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 45% of the total amount, 45% will be for me. while 10% will be donated to the Motherless and Orphanage home in your country. Please i want you to be honest with me because this money is a golden oppurtunity to me and i do not want to loose it. For the business to be effected i will need the following information from you.
1.Your full name:
2.Your full residential address:
3.Your direct telephone number and email address,
4.Your date of birth and Birth Place:
5:Your Occupation:
6:Your Marital Status
7:Your Sex
With all these informations i will sucessfully inputs your name in the necessary files and also insert your information into the bank central computer as the next of kin to the late depositor and the sole beneficiary of the unclaimed fund after the demise of the depositor.If you want to know more you can contact me via my hammed_islam300@yahoo.com.orcall my personal phone number : +2347056379097..............
Thanks
Mr.Hammed Yusuf
Click on the picture to view a larger version or to get to the link for more pictures on Singapore home life 2006/2007.
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| Friday, May 22nd, 2009
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8:31 am - Life: As it should be lived
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JM sent me this link which is about, ultimately, what Islam says about possessiveness.
There are things about it that I like, but also points of disagreement.
If nothing is truly yours to begin with, you don't lust as much nor grieve as much - but it is human to lust and love and revel in something you are gifted with (say, good health), so as it is to grieve and resent the loss of it.
So I say that it is permissible to act humanly - and human emotions can be very strong - but underlying your joy or your grief should always be the understanding of "Inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi Raaji'oon", even if it is bitter to accept.
I think the literal meaning of "insha'allah" encapsulates that. It's always said when talking about something that will happen in the future over here ("We'll meet tomorrow, insha'allah"), but I feel the meaning has changed subtly to mean "I hope so" with a silent "of course, if Allah allows it" rather than a strong "I will let Allah decide the outcome, whatever it is, and if it does not happen I will accept this with my whole heart".
There are other religions or religious sects which believe "as the lord giveth, the lord taketh away", or that there is no point in lusting after anything because you won't be able to take it away with you (Zen, I think).
I like to think that you CAN bring the immaterial. Happy memories, made all the happier because of sad ones. Wisdom from experience. The journey towards becoming a better person. The satisfaction that you have left behind something to benefit others when you're gone (hmm, maybe this verges too much on arrogance) - thoughts, or something more material like a "tree under whose shade you do not expect to sit" (this is very Chinese btw, and the Chinese are encouraged to go plant trees and do everything for the benefit of the next generation, or 下一代).
And even if you can't, they're still worthy aims to strive for.
But one point of contention for me in the above article is the conviction that you are rewarded for your acceptance. It would be nice to be rewarded if you're obedient and vice versa, but I don't believe that you should EXPECT it. Who are you to question Allah or understand his motives?
I've seen "And Allah knows best" (wonder what the Arabic is for this?) at the end of statements on Islam on the Internet.. perhaps it's become another throwaway phrase, but there is a lot to learn from this. Leave the present and the future to Allah, in that all your decisions should be not just made in Allah's name, but because Allah truly wills it (OK, don't ask me how you can be sure. I never figured this one out. Does Allah really want this decision, or was it you, all along?).
Enjoy life as much as you can, because nothing will last in the form you see it today (just look back five years! THREE years!). Learn as much as you can along the way. And keep your eyes peeled to see where you can plant those trees. They don't always come as little acorns all ready to be planted in fertile soil.
Click on the picture to view it larger or to get to the link for more photos on Brisbane home life in 2007.
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| Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
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7:38 pm - Food: Chinese Palace Restaurant
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The Chinese Palace is an unobtrusive place tucked away on the ground floor of the Al Wadi Commercial Center in Qurm, the building where the House of Prose is.
The food is the most authentically Chinese we have found so far - tasty, but not as heavy on the oil, sugar and salt as with Chindian dishes. Portions are average sized but we never manage to finish them.
Click on the picture to view a larger version or to get the link for other pictures on Qurm.
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